When Should I see a Doctor For Back Pain?
February 16, 2023Sitting for prolonged periods can wreak havoc on your back health. Studies indicate that sitting for over eight hours a day can result in back injuries, leaving you with debilitating pain. If you find yourself experiencing pain when sitting down or bending, it’s crucial to understand that it could be the result of poor posture and an overworked back, rather than a slipped disc or pinched nerve. Seeking professional assistance from an orthopedic back specialist Long Island like Dr. Han Jo Kim can provide you with the care you need to alleviate lower back pain.
Why Do I Have Lower Back Pain When Sitting Down Or Bending?
When you bend or sit down, the curvature of your spine puts immense pressure on your lower back muscles. This constant strain weakens your muscles and leaves your joints feeling overworked, causing significant discomfort. However, there are numerous treatments that you can use to alleviate the pain, such as using a heating pad or a chair with lumbar support to reduce the strain on your lower back muscles.
How To Reduce Pain From Sitting
To reduce pain from sitting, it’s vital to ensure that you maintain correct posture by sitting with your back straight. In addition, using a chair with lumbar support will help keep your back from arching and putting pressure on your lower back. Ensuring that the chair you are using is the right height and sitting on a cushion or pillow will help prevent pressure on your lower back.
Avoiding back pain can be as simple as standing up and moving around often and not sitting for long periods. When we sit for an extended time, the weight of our body rests on our spine, leading to severe pain, especially if you have a weak spine or arthritis.
How Do You Know When You Should Get Spinal Surgery?
Back surgery might be an option for you if other treatments haven’t worked already and your pain is disabling.
Many people who deal with back pain also have pain that goes towards their legs. Pinched nerves cause these symptoms in the spine. Nerves may become pinched for several reasons, which include:
- Disk problems. Disks are the rubbery cushions that separate the bones of your spine. A bulging disk can sometimes get too close to a spinal nerve and start applying force onto the nerve.
- Overgrowth of bone. Osteoarthritis can result in bone growth. This excess bone can restrict the space available for your nerves to pass through the openings in your spine.
- Injury. When we do physical activities and get injured on our back, that pressure from your particular injury can be applied to the nerve causing it to pinch and possibly be the reason for your back issues.
- Rheumatoid or wrist arthritis. Rheumatoid directly affects the joints and nerves of the cervical spine leading to pain and inflammation that you might feel when you bend even a little, and it’s excruciating.
- Obesity. Obesity causes back pain as the body carries the excess belly that starts to create pressure on your nerves and the shape of your back since the weights pull the back forward.
Contact Us: Orthopedic Back Specialist Long Island
If you are dealing with back pain, don’t suffer in silence. Contact us today at Orthopedic Back Specialist Long Island, and Dr. Han Jo Kim will help find the best treatment for your back pain.